Crisis Comms: Retaining control of the message
In a crisis when the odds are against you, the media is misunderstanding and misrepresenting you, and certain individuals are exploiting the situation to their own political advantage, what do you do? As head of comms for the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) Operation COVID-19 Assist in New South Wales, I was in that situation. The […]
The 4 Cs of Comms out of this Crisis
As the world slowly opens up after the long dark COVID winter, this is not a time for leaders to sit back and relax. Leaders must continue engaging and communicating on a regular basis with staff, clients, suppliers and other key stakeholders. There remains uncertainty and nervousness about the COVID situation and leaders must provide […]
5 B2B Comms Tips: What my foundation client taught me
Over the last 4 years I have had the privilege of working with Australia’s leading remediation and environmentally-focused services business, Enviropacific – JT Comms’ Foundation Client. The growth and transformation of Enviropacific during that time has been impressive – it has also taught me a thing or two about the importance of B2B communications. 1. Identify […]
Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together
‘Hopeful communication’ during a time of crisis is a powerful way to build connections, loyalty and empathy with stakeholders. The way the public has responded to the Olympics highlights the importance of positive news in a time of crisis and uncertainty. In a crisis, leaders need to communicate with urgency, transparency and empathy. Harvard Business […]
Building trust through clear communication
Effective communication, particularly in a crisis, needs to be clear, honest and empathetic to engender trust and galvanise the desired public response. The confusion and lack of empathy & transparency over Australia’s border situation is, unfortunately, an example of poor communication. The Federal Government’s decision to cut international arrivals by 50% – allowing only 3,000 […]
How to engage effectively with journalists
Understanding media & media management is important for businesses and organisations at some point. Knowing how to engage effectively with journalists could make or break the business. A recent report released by PRNewswire/Cision provides insight into how to improve and ensure positive and meaningful engagement with journalists to improve outcomes on both sides. Clearly, journalists […]
Leading with clear communication
As countries continue to battle Covid-19 and take the next steps towards returning to some kind of normality, it is crucial leaders remain focused, and communicate with clarity, consistency & empathy. The rollout of vaccines across the world, including in Australia, is beginning to bear fruit with substantial falls in COVID cases and deaths in […]
Staying calm in a crisis
Staying calm and focused is a key requirement of any spokesperson tasked with managing communications in a crisis. But doing so can be a challenge even for the most experienced crisis communicators, as we saw in Australia recently. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison, under significant public and media pressure over the treatment of women at Parliament […]
Controversial? Yes – Beginning of the end? No.
With the recent controversy surrounding THAT INTERVIEW with Harry & Meghan there are some suggesting this is the beginning of the end for the Royal Family. We doubt it. There’s also criticism of the way “the Firm” has responded to the interview. At this point, it has been entirely appropriate and predictable. The Royal Family […]
Social Media: The 5 Steps to Success
Running social media for an event that occurs every two years and maintaining interest, reach and engagement is a challenge, particularly when social media platforms are prioritising “social” over organisation content. Algorithm changes on Facebook alone have halved organic reach. But RIMPAC 2018 proved that there are ways to unlock the power of social media for […]